178 C. 24. Anno quarto Ge org 1 1 III. A.D. 1763. the Secretary or Drpu- Majefty's Dominions in America refpeaively; or to the Secretary of fuch Port Mafter General, or ty of the Poft Mafter Deputy of the Poft Mafter General, or to the Farmer of the Bye and Crofs Road Letters, or to any General; of the Surveyors of the Poft Office, all for the Time being; and all Letters and Packets fent from £«•?« of the Bye and an y of the (aid Officers for the Time being, which fhall be figned, on the Outfide thereof b/ Wyori , of thTpoft <" u ch Officer, and whereof the Whole Superfcription fhall likewife be of the Hand Writing of fuch Office; Officer; and alio except all Letters and Packets lent from the Treafury, the Admiralty Office, the and Letters and Packets Office of his Majefty's Principal Secretaries of State, the Plantation Office, the War Office, or from fent from any of the faid the General Port Office at London., or from any of the Chief Offices at Edinburgh, at Dublin, or in ^"omfide' 1 by thCI " y ^' z ^"' 7 ' and which fliall appear by an Indorsement made thereupon by fome Perfon properly au- and the Whole Super- thorized as herein after mentioned to make the fame, to be upon his Majefty's Service, and fhall fcription of their Wri- be fealed with the Seal of the Office, or with the Seal of the Principal Officer in the Office or De- ting; paitment from which they are fent. and Letters and Packets from the Tieafury, Admiralty Office, Office of the Secretaries of State, Plantation Office, War Office, Ceneral Poft Office at London, Chief Offices at Edin- burgh, Dublin, and America, indorfed for the King's Service, and fealed with the Seal of Office, or of the Principal Officer in the Department, II. And, for more effectually preventing all fuch Frauds and Abufes as might otherwife be prac- tifed under colour of the Allowance hereby granted and continued, offending Letters and Packets from the feveral Offices and Officers herein before mentioned free from the Duty of Poftage; Re it Commiffioners of the further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That it fhall and may be lawful for the Lord High Treafury, Treafurer, or Commiffioners of the Treafury, the Lord High Admiral, or Commiffioners of the and Admiralty, Admiralty, his Majefty's Principal Secretaries of State, the Commiffioners for Trade and Planta- Co e m miffione"fo -Trade tions ' his Ma J eft y' s Secretary at War, his Majefty's Poft Mafter General, and the Deputies of the and Plantations, P°^ Mafter General herein before mentioned, all for the Time being, to authorize and direct cer- Secrctary at Wa'r, tain Perfons in each of their Offices or departments refpectively, a Lift of whofe Names fhall be Poft Mafter General, from time to time transmitted, by the Principal Officer or Officers authorizing the fame, to the and his Deputies, General Poft Office in London, to make and fubferibe an Indorsement upon each Letter or Packet cTrtZpt/omTn the" which & M concern the publick Bufinefs of their refpective Offices, fignifying that fuch Letter or refpective Offices, Packet is upon his Majefty's Service, and to feal the fame with the Seal of fuch Office or Officer o whom Lifts to be refpectively; all which Perfons are hereby ftrictly forbid fo to indorfe and feal any Letter or Packet tranfmitted to the Ge- whatfoever, unlefs fuch only concerning which they fhall receive the fpecial Direction of their fu- neral Poft Office ^London, p er j or Officer, or which they fhall themfelves know to concern the Bufinefs of their refpective Of- and Packet's upon'th" ^ ces '> an ^ if any Perfon employed in any of the faid Offices, fhall knowingly make and fubferibe King's Service, fuch Indorfement, or procure the fame to be made upon any Letter or Packet which does not really and feal the fame with concern the Bufinefs of the Office in refpect of which he is authorized to make the fame, he fhall, the Seal of Office, &c. for the firft Offence, forfeit and pay the Sum of five Pounds, to be recovered and applied in fuch fnTfea'rJ' 6 f ° Cd Manner as > b y the A<a of the ninth Year of the Rei S n of Queen Anne for eftablifhing a General but by Direction of their P°^ Office, is directed, with refpect to the Penaltiej inflicted by the faid Act; and, for the Second Superior officer, Offence, fhall be difmiffed from his Office. or which concerns the Bufinefs of the Office, on Forfeiture of 5I. for the Firft Offence, to be recovered and applied as by Act 9 Annae is directed; and for the fecand Offence, the Offender to be difmiffed. Perfons appointed to III. Provided always, That the Number of Perfons fo to be appointed, in each of the Offices make fuchlndoifemcnts, above mentioned, to make and fubferibe fuch Indorfement as aforefaid, fhall not exceed two in any not to exceed 2 in any one Office or Department, except only in the Admiralty Office and the War Office; and that the Ad CC ' it d w Number fo to be appointed in the Admiralty Office fhall not exceed eight in Time of Peace, or offices a excepted • . twelve in Time of War; and that the Number fo to be appointed in the War Office fhall not ex- ■ and in the Admiralty ceed fix in Time of Peace, or ten in Time of War. not to exceed eight in Time of Peace, and twelve in Time of War; and in the War Office not to exceed fix in Time of Peace, and ten in Time of War. where any privileged IV. Provided alfo, and be it further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That in cafe any Perfon Pirjon, difabled from jntitled to fend Letters or Packets free of the Duty of Poftage, being, by bodily Infirmity, difabled writingthe Whole Su- f rom vvriting the Whole Superfcription of fuch Letters or Packets, (hall chufe to authorize and ap- ftali r 'authorife fome point feme one Perfon, on his Behalf, and in his Stead, to fign his Name upon, and write the Su- PerfontofignhisN^me perfcription of, fuch Letters and Packets, and fhall caufe Notice thereof in Writing, under his upon and write the Su- Hand and Seal, to be tranfmitted to his Majefty's Poft Mafter General; all Letters and Packets, fo perfcription, figned and fuperfcribed by the Perfon fo authorized and appointed, fhall be allowed to pafs free of oftndYrh^HandTd the Dut y of Pofta ge, and fhall, in all Refpects, be proceeded with, as if the Whole Super- SeaTtc. thePoft n Mafter fcription had been of the Hand Writing of the Perfon by whom fuch Authority was given as General, aforefaid. Letters and Packets, fo figned and fuperfcribed, fhall go free. Printed Votes, and V. Provided always, and it is hereby further enacted, That nothing herein contained (hall extend Proceedings in Parlia- to charge with the Duty of Poftage, any printed Votes, or Proceedings in Parliament, or printed ™ eax > News Papers, being fent without Covers, or in Covers open at the Sides, which fhall be figned, and News Papers, fent without Covers, or in Covers open at Sides, on
